


la vie en rose

by ultravires



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Grief/Mourning, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28382631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultravires/pseuds/ultravires
Summary: and when you speak, angels sing from above— everyday words seem to turn into love songs. give your heart and soul to me, and life will always be la vie en rose.(It will be hell. They will have to fight tooth and nail, to have strong willpower not to listen to what anyone says about them, to rise above. But now, with his hand in Mingyu's and his heart on his sleeve, Wonwoo finally feels alive again.)
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu
Kudos: 22





	la vie en rose

**Author's Note:**

> part of teen age on twt. the english version of [this oneshot](https://write.as/ultravires/la-vie-en-rose). title and summary from [La Vie En Rose — Daniela Andrade](https://open.spotify.com/track/0VxocBntP1XTZRsR9ZURPS).

Seriously, what kind of magic is Mingyu putting on him? Every time it's just the two of them, Wonwoo always seems to be spilling his traumatic life story to Mingyu. Which he already has a person for, that's why he's in therapy. But his shrink is _paid_ to do that. Mingyu just... listens. He listens so attentively and encouragingly, no judgement at all. Not that anyone is judging him at all, it's just that. Mingyu is new. Good new. But it's an unfamiliar territory, nothing Wonwoo has ever experienced.

The two of them have foregone watching the performances, deeming it too hard now to brave the crowd to search for their friends inside. After Soonyoung and Jihoon left earlier, Mingyu asked him if he wanted to go for a walk instead, get some fresh air and wait for the adrenaline to die down, and that's how they end up sitting near the parking lot.

They were in the middle of a conversation about Chan's girlfriend's faculty film, about how it touches on the topic of dealing with grief. The film had won first place and best screenplay, but what Wonwoo found fascinating was how clinical the story was. 

"Grief is not... It's not poetic, you know? It's not what people make it out to be. I read about pain, about losing people, and I try to understand because I need to know how other people deal with it, and they just make it so beautiful. But it's not. Losing people is one of the worst things that can happen to you and it fucks you up, but you move on. You have to, at some point, or you become a dead man walking. And I don't— I don't want to be a dead man walking. But it's hard, moving on is hard. I still cry myself to sleep sometimes, but it's getting better.”

Mingyu shifts on his spot on the pavement where he is seated next to Wonwoo. "I don't know much about grief, to be honest. I only know that it hurts and sometimes people are consumed by it. It's not something I dwell on much, so I'm not going to pretend to know a lot about it. But I've heard that saying, 'time heals'. Do you think it's true?"

"Now, see, that's what people say. But what they don't tell us is that it's not just time. It heals if you make an effort to heal. You can't let time do all the healing because it doesn't. I go to therapy, I talk to a shrink, but if I didn't feel better then that's on me. Holding on won't turn back time."

"Are you feeling better now? What do you... how do you deal with the grief? Do you think you've found a coping mechanism?"

Wonwoo lets out a laugh. "You sound like my shrink. But thank you for asking. I do feel better now, and I honestly don't know if I've found a coping mechanism yet, but I'm trying to channel it healthily, if you get what I mean. I have really supportive friends, parents who understand me. Well, you helped too."

"Me?" Mingyu looks surprised to be mentioned. "I helped?"

"You're... not what I thought you would be. I mean, I'm sorry I was always snapping at you when we first met. But you're... okay." Wonwoo paused, trying to find the right words, before nodding in agreement with his choice of diction. "You're okay. And I think your okay-ness is making me feel okay. It's not as suffocating as it used to be. And I have you to thank for it."

"But I didn't really do anything?"

"No, you didn't. I mean, I don't think you did anything significantly. But that's what makes it different, you know? Because that means you're not forcing anything to happen. Whatever you're doing, it's affecting me naturally, in a good way. A sense of normality. A breath of fresh air. That's what you are."

That's what Mingyu is, Wonwoo realizes with an exhale. A breath of fresh air. 

There is something about Mingyu tonight that draws Wonwoo in. Mingyu's eyes are wide and sincere and look at him in such a way he's never seen before. His gaze is warm and inviting and comforting that Wonwoo feels something stirring in his chest. Before he can lose courage, Wonwoo raises his hands to cup Mingyu's cheeks gently, internally sighing in relief when Mingyu doesn't pull away.

"Stop me if you're uncomfortable, alright?" Wonwoo whispers, eyes searching Mingyu's face for any sign of discomfort.

"Okay," Mingyu whispers back. Wonwoo sees his gaze flicking down to his lips for a split second.

Wonwoo leans in slowly, and his lips meet Mingyu's halfway. 

The first few seconds Wonwoo's brain is still frazzled trying to register the softness pressing on his lips, ignoring the pounding in his chest, and his hands still on Mingyu's cheeks. 

And then Mingyu tilts his head slightly and their lips slot perfectly together. Wonwoo can faintly register Mingyu's hand snaking around his waist, on the small of his back, drawing him closer so that their bodies are flush against each other, and he positively _melts_ in Mingyu's hold. His hands automatically looped around Mingyu's neck, deepening the kiss.

There is no lust, no primal want. Just warmth and a sense of tingling traveling all over his body. Mingyu's gentleness is apparent in his way of guiding their lips together, like he's trying to make Wonwoo feel the affection that's pouring out of him.

When they finally pull away, Wonwoo is still dazed from the best kiss of his life. To be fair, he doesn't have anything else to compare it to, but it's as great as first kiss goes.

Mingyu doesn't look as disoriented as he is, only stepping back with a serene look on his face. He looks calm, like he didn't just kiss the living daylights out of Wonwoo.

"I— Wow." Wonwoo finally breathes out, the corners of his lips itching to pull up. For once, he doesn't fight the urge to.

Mingyu's eyes are twinkling under the moonlight. Or parking lot lights. "You have a beautiful smile." 

Wonwoo's lips stretch even wider, even though he can practically feel his cheeks getting hotter by the minute. "Well, you did steal my first kiss." 

"I _what_?" The twinkling in Mingyu's eyes vanished, replaced by a look of utter surprise, judging by the way his eyes widened to saucers and jaw dropping. "That was your first kiss? I stole your first kiss?"

“Technically, I was the one who kissed you." Wonwoo shrugs carelessly.

"I like you." Mingyu blurts out, ears tinged red down to his neck. He stares into the night, avoiding Wonwoo's gaze.

"You—"

"Since March. Always have. The person trying to get close to you, sending you food? Wishing you speedy recovery and whatnot? That was me. Oh my God, this is so stupid, I shouldn't have sai—"

"Gyu?" Wonwoo tentatively calls out, effectively cutting off the taller's rant. The blush is already spreading to Mingyu's cheeks, staining it pink.

"Yeah?"

"I know."

Mingyu makes a strangled noise from the back of his throat. "You _knew_?"

"It was really obvious," Wonwoo chuckles, pointing out the facts he's been suspecting for long, "You're really bad at lying."

"I know!" Mingyu wails, slumping and cradles his head in his hand. Wonwoo runs his hand across Mingyu's back, soothing the underclassman sitting next to him.

"There, there. For what it's worth, I like you too."

As soon as the words leave Wonwoo's mouth, he realizes the implication of it— the dire impact and the underlying meaning, all jumbled together even though it's as clear as it comes. 

Wonwoo likes Mingyu. It's still a crush, a budding affection, tiny and tingling in his chest, but the more he thinks about it, the more real it becomes. And now that he said it out loud, it made it all the truer.

"Not, not yet to your extent, maybe. I don't know. I mean, I have feelings for you. Um, romantic ones. I think? It's still a crush. It may—" Panic is starting to rise up when Mingyu doesn't answer and he can't bear the silence, so Wonwoo keeps talking. "It may grow. I think I'm gonna let it grow. It's— if you're okay with it. Are you going to be okay with it?"

He didn't even realize his hands are shaking until Mingyu put his hand on top of Wonwoo's, squeezing it tenderly.

"I think I'm going to be okay with it."

Wonwoo gazes up, meeting Mingyu's brown orbs. This is new. Wonwoo hasn't felt this way in years, hasn't let himself do that.

What they're doing right now is dangerous. They are standing on the edge of a cliff, a slippery slope, where the view is amazing but one wrong step and they're going to plummet to their deaths.

It will be them against the world. If they want to go through with this, to at least try and brave the consequences, to make it work, people will talk. All the trouble they will have to face is probably not going to be worth it.

But the view from up here is _breathtaking_.

Wonwoo wants to say something, about facing the wrath of a best friend, the prejudiced stares of disbelief from their acquaintances, the sure to be heard whispers of "how could they do that?" following them in the hallways, the much-needed comparative conversation about what changed between now and a few months ago.

"We'll figure it out. Together."

It will be hell. They will have to fight tooth and nail, to have strong willpower not to listen to what anyone says about them, to rise above. But now, with his hand in Mingyu's and his heart on his sleeve, Wonwoo finally feels alive again. And he thinks he would gladly have sticks and stones breaking his bones if it meant feeling like this all the time.

**Author's Note:**

> (They're both so lost in exhilaration that neither realized the silent footsteps of someone approaching and leaving.)
> 
> —
> 
> happy new years!


End file.
